Welcome Home Kel
by MorThreeo
Summary: {ficlet}Kel comes home from the war and Owen has a little surprise for her. What is it you ask? Read and find out!


It was the end of the Scanran war. All the knights and soldiers were going home to a wife, or a lover. Everyone . . . except Kel. It was a hard war and Kel had almost no one to go home to. No one really wanted her with them, even if she had helped win the war for all of them.  
  
* * *  
  
Kel galloped into Corus' courtyard. It was deserted. 'That's . . . different. There should be plenty of people here. The war's finished, they should all be here.' Kel shook her head and gave Hoshi to an hostler.  
  
Kel slung her saddlebags over her shoulders and walked into the front hall. There was no one there either.  
  
Kel walked down the halls to her rooms to drop her bags off.  
  
* * *  
  
Kel stopped in front of the dining hall. 'I've barely seen anyone in the halls today. Maybe they're all in here.'  
  
Kel opened the door and was immediately assaulted by loud noises and sights.  
  
"Happy birthday Kel!" Pretty much the whole palace was in the dining hall, cheering for Kel.  
  
All Kel did was stare at all of them as if they were fools. She started to stutter. "You . . . you did all this for me? By the Goddess, you . . . you guys are great!" Kel felt like she was going to cry, but she put on her stone mask.  
  
Neal, Cleon and Owen sidled up to Kel, Neal and Cleon obviously drunk.  
  
"Kel!" Neal exclaimed. "Happy birthday! Come on, let's go open your presents for you!"  
  
Cleon nodded his head and Owen bounced up and down, slightly drunk.  
  
Neal and Cleon grabbed her arms and pulled her to the dais, where the king and queen were dressed in jester costumes. Apparently it was a masquerade birthday party, where everyone got dressed up. Kel hadn't really noticed it all, she had been too busy looking at Owen.  
  
Owen was no longer the small, chubby boy that Kel had known before the war. He was slightly shorter than Kel, and well-muscled with hard stomach abs. His hair was short - cut and tussled nicely. He was wearing commoners' garb. Trousers, loose white linen shirt and working boots.  
  
Neal noticed all this and smiled inwardly. 'I finally see that she's gotten her act together. They should always be together.'  
  
Neal, Cleon and Owen sat her down on the thrones and laughed at her expression.  
  
"What's wrong Kel?" Cleon laughed.  
  
"I.I can't sit here. This is your place!" she looked at the king and queen. They laughed.  
  
"It's your place for today." Thayet said. Owen walked over to Kel and bowed to her, kneeling in front of her.  
  
"Your crown my lady." He held up a paper crown coloured gold. Kel looked at it and shook her head. "Come on Kel," Owen jibed. "Put it on!"  
  
Kel relented and took the 'crown'. She put it on her head and then turned to the line of family, friends and fellow knights forming with presents.  
  
Kel opened many presents that night. She got a golden locket with her parents' portraits in it from her mother and father. From the king and queen she had gotten the latest horse armour, that covered the whole horse with tough, moveable leather. From Neal she got a book of Copper Isle jokes and tricks, from Cleon, a leather journal, from Lalasa, a new dress, and from her brother Ines, an emerald bracelet and necklace set.  
  
But Kel felt somehow . . . empty.  
  
When all was done with, and Owen hadn't come forward, Kel looked at him. "Owen?"  
  
Owen glanced at her. "I'll give it to you . . . later. I would like to give it to you with no one around." He looked slightly nervous and Kel had no idea why.  
  
"Why not now? Come on." Kel grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the balcony. No one seemed to notice them going out, as everyone was too busy chatting with their friends or dancing with another 'friend'.  
  
Owen sat down on the bench and motioned Kel to do the same. Owen pulled out a small box wrapped in silver paper and handed it to her.  
  
Kel looked at it and then glanced at Owen.  
  
"Go on." Owen prodded. "It's not going to bite."  
  
Kel laughed and delicately opened the wrapping. Kel gasped as she pulled off the lid of the wooden box. "Owen, it's . . . beautiful."  
  
Kel pulled out a small silver charm bracelet. It had a few charms on it already. There was one with Owen's name on it, another with Neal's, one with Cleon's name and another with Tobe's. There were small depictions on others of Peachblossom, Hoshi, Crown, Freckles and Jump.  
  
Kel gave in to herself and reached forward, hugging Owen. "Owen . . . thank you so much!"  
  
Owen pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Kel . . ." he breathed out, and leaned forward capturing her lips with his.  
  
It was sweet torture to Kel. That empty feeling that Kel had been feeling all night was now filled and Kel loved the sensations filling her body. Kel closed her eyes and stopped thinking. She just felt.  
  
Owen pulled back again and held onto her hands. "Happy birthday Kel . . . and welcome home."  
  
* * * 


End file.
